When the PR dude walks into the room and apologises profusely for the cardinal sin of delivering mochaccinos instead of frappuccinos, Deepest Blue look hideously embarrassed. The trappings of fame and the business of the music business aren't what turn them on. For Matt Schwartz and Joel Edwards, who have been in the trade for over a decade, it's still all about the music.

The pair portray themselves as reluctant stars. They spent ages trying to figure out how they could work the band without a front person and they collapse into giggles when they reveal that they refused to wear swimming trunks for the photo shoot for this piece. 'Of course we said no,' laughs Joel. 'For a start we'd need about eight months' notice so we could get into shape if we were going to do it.' It's not difficult to understand why the marketing people who have to work with the duo aren't their greatest fans. 'We're not that pop and we're not exactly Gareth Gates,' says Matt, who later admits to a penchant for Speedos.

Considering that they've already had a couple of top 10 singles their desire for privacy seems to border at times on the extreme. Maybe because they know the industry inside out they've seen plenty of examples of how fame and notoriety can screw up people's lives. While Matt is happy to reveal that he was born in Israel and came over to London 10 years ago, Joel clams up at questions regarding his origins. 'I don't want anyone to know where I grew up,' he says. 'In my local area I can sneak in and out because no one knows who I am and I want to keep things that way.'

While the name of the band and their eponymous first single is derived from a computing accident - the words 'deepest blue' came up when Joel pressed 'save' on a computer - the actual song is inspired by Coldplay's 'Yellow'. 'Its just the first sentiment of Chris Martin's opening line,' says Joel. 'When he sings, "Look at the stars/Look how they shine for you ... " I thought that was such an awesome sentiment. Imagine writing that for some love of yours and how heartfelt it sounds.'

They say their sound describes 'an emotional crescendo', and indeed their approach to songwriting and production takes a lot from a background as dance music programmers. Yet their two hits, 'Deepest Blue' and 'Give It Away', are the only two dance-oriented tracks on their debut album Late September. 'With the first singles we wanted to be making full-on feel-good radio records and put a smile on people's faces,' says Matt. 'But after that we were a bit more introspective.' It's a mood change that is evident on a record that features an unexpectedly varied range of musical influences that bubble through to create a unique 'Deepest Blue' sound.

'Our approach has always been, "Do you fancy doing a trip hop track?" "Do you fancy doing a Joni Mitchell track?"' says Joel. 'I think it's a shame not to show off all your influences. If we'd completely homed in on dance records, it would have killed us.'

Between them, Matt and Joel have worked with the likes of Dido, Skin and Massive Attack and claim famous names as fans of their album. 'Mica Paris is a good friend of mine. When she heard the album she absolutely loved it,' says Matt. 'Most people I know love the album but quite a few prefer the demos.'

'I've got the demos for Massive Attack's Mezzanine at home,' adds Joel, 'and I can honestly say I prefer them to the finished record.' They both admit that it was difficult to recreate the feeling they had when recording their own demos in the arid environment of the studio.

Even though they've only been a band for a year, they aren't afraid to step on each other's toes when in the studio. In fact Joel and Matt's working relationship seems quite volatile even though they appear to be the best of friends. Where other musical partnerships may be diplomatic, Deepest Blue prefer to battle out their differences to the bitter end. 'Neither of us gives up any power at all, so we're constantly struggling to work things out,' says Joel. 'I think that dynamic makes the record very interesting because we're aggressively trying to put forward ideas.'

· Deepest Blue's next single, 'Shooting Star', is released on 23 August